Marvel superheroes across the TV-movie spectrum may not join forces anytime soon, but that isn’t stopping a few team-ups behind the camera. Case in point. a notable Iron Fist star has Doctor Strange himself to thank for the gig, as Benedict Cumberbatch put in a good word.
While Marvel has a reputation for valuing continuity on both sides of the camera, it’s easy to forget that the first two phases of Marvel movies were essentially put together by hired guns. The early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were populated by directors like Alan Taylor, Kenneth Branagh, Joe Johnston, and Shane Black, one-and-done filmmakers who were either not invited or not inclined to go a second round with the studio.
With the release of Doctor Strange on home video just around the corner, fans are getting an early look at some of the behind-the-scenes features that will accompany the film on DVD and Blu-ray. Just yesterday, for example, Marvel released some of the best best set jokes on the film’s gag reel, showing that even respected Shakespearean actors like Benedict Cumberbatch aren’t above flubbing the occasional line. For die-hard fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these features are a great peek at how the sausage gets made.
When you get right down to it, there’s something delightfully surreal about watching our generation’s best actors tie themselves to the ceiling and spout metaphysical gibberish at the camera. Doctor Strange may not be my personal favorite superhero movie, but it’s undeniably the one with my favorite cast; Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Mads Mikkelsen would represent an embarrassment of riches for any movie, let alone one focused on time travel and temperamental capes.
When we talk about blockbuster movies with enormous casts, we often spend our time talking about the directors or the screenwriters or even the stunt coordinators, all of those people who help give the movie its distinct look and feel. But today I raise my glass to the behind-the-scenes administrators who help put together the budgets and shooting schedules. It can’t exactly be easy to bring together two dozen of the world’s most popular actors for one giant superhero brawl, but that is exactly what a few hard-working managers in Los Angeles are currently trying to do for Avengers: Infinity War.
We already know Avengers: Infinity War is going to be huge, with the current MCU arcs building toward a crossover event that promises to be the studio’s biggest yet — even bigger than Captain America: Civil War. According to previous comments made by directors Joe and Anthony Russo, Infinity War will feature dozens of characters from the Marvel universe, including Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord and Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel. As for the rest of the lineup, we can only make educated guesses, but a new casting call may have spilled the beans.
By now, you know (and have probably seen) Doctor Strange, the 14th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But did you know that attempts to make a movie about Doctor Strange date back decades before Iron Man? In 1978, they even made a Doctor Strange TV movie, in an attempt to recreate the successful formula behind the popular Incredible Hulk TV show. That’s just one of the “strange” facts featured in the newest episode of You Think You Know Movies!
Reptilian thespian Benedict Cumberbatch scored a true box-office smash this past weekend as the headliner of Doctor Strange, a long-time-coming solo film for one of Marvel Comics’ most outré heroes. In addition to the distinction of being the first performer in the history of cinema to successfully pull off a cape-and-goatee combo, Cumberbatch proved his bona fides as an honest-to-god movie star with this pivotal role. But a new piece from IGN today reveals that in addition to the Sorcerer Supreme, Cumberbatch also played a second, uncredited role in the Doctor Strange production. (Here be SPOILERS. Continue at your own risk.)
You’ve seen Doctor Strange. You’ve read our spoiler-free Doctor Strange review. Now you’re ready to go deeper. Like Stephen Strange himself, you’re ready for ultimate knowledge. All you know is a wise Celtic mystic to touch you on the forehead and open your “eye.”